After a long walk down the beach on a cool fall day, you are going to need a little comfort food to warm you up. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home to a bowl of rich and creamy She-Crab Soup? This recipe is going to make for a perfect fall lunch or dinner while you are enjoying your Ocean Isle Beach getaway. The lump crabmeat, butter, and other ingredients combine to make a savory one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Pair your bowl of soup with a fresh crusty bread….and Bon Appétit.

Local Seafood Sources

Looking for a local Ocean Isle Beach fish market to purchase your lump crabmeat? Then you should try Sheffield’s Seafood & Grocery or Cap’t Jack’s Seafood Market. Local crabmeat comes from Blue Crabs, which are plentiful in North Carolina’s coastal waters. Crabbing is a tradition and a way of life for many local fishermen. Did you know that you too can become a crabber? Check out our previous post:Learn All About Crabbing on Ocean Isle Beach.

A brief history lesson

Have you ever wondered about the origins of She-Crab soup? We did too, and were surprised to find out it involved turtles and a president. It turns out that variations of She-Crab soup recipes date back several centuries, with several found as far away as Scotland.

Today, many credit the version we know and love to former U.S. President William Howard Taft’s visit to Charleston in the early 1900s. Taft was good friends with then-mayor R. Goodwyn Rhett and wasvisiting him for dinner. Unfortunately for Taft, the menu was to include Turtle Soup – a dish of which he was not a fan. What was Mayor Rhett to do?

Of course, you can’t serve the president of the United States just any old soup. Legend has it that Rhett asked his butler/cook William Deas to change up their usual recipe for crab soup. He added the fancy-looking crab roe, a little sherry and … there you have it! The She-Crab soup we know and love was born. Now, that is a presidential act we can all get behind!

Are you ready to head to Ocean Isle Beach this fall and make your own pot of She-Crab soup right in the heart of the North Carolina coast? If you are, then we have everything you need to get started. Call one of our friendly reservationists today at 800-727-9222 or click the button below to find your dream vacation home. Now all you need is are a few ingredients and with the help of our well-appointed kitchens you’ll be enjoying a hot bowl of She-Crab soup in no time.